A comprehensive four-year investigation into potential flood protection measures for Perth has concluded without identifying any viable schemes specifically targeting surface water. This outcome has left local residents and community groups feeling a profound sense of disappointment, particularly given the growing threat of climate change-induced weather patterns.
The Perth Surface Water Management Plan (SWMP), commissioned by Perth and Kinross Council, aimed to pinpoint effective strategies to shield hundreds of properties across the city from recurrent flooding. However, despite a thorough exploration of various proposals, none met the crucial cost-benefit criteria required for implementation, according to the study’s findings.
Janice Haig, a prominent voice from Perth Community Flood Aid, expressed the widespread sentiment of anticlimax. “It’s truly a damp squib after all this time,” she remarked, highlighting the frustration stemming from multiple delays in the report’s release over several years. Many residents, who have long grappled with the devastating impact of floodwaters, were eagerly anticipating tangible solutions.
The seriousness of the situation is underscored by alarming statistics. The study reveals that surface water currently contributes approximately 22% of Perth’s overall flood risk. A staggering 405 properties are deemed vulnerable during a one-in-30-year flood event. Disturbingly, projections indicate this number could surge to 1,041 properties in the future, largely attributable to the escalating effects of climate change. The vast majority of these at-risk locations, about 91%, are concentrated within 60 identified flooding hotspots across Perth.
A significant hurdle identified in the study is the insufficient capacity within Perth’s primary trunk sewers, which struggle to cope with heavy rainfall. This infrastructural limitation exacerbates the problem, leading to widespread surface water accumulation in various areas.
While no immediate, standalone flood protection schemes were deemed viable, the SWMP did highlight two areas with potential for future action, albeit contingent on broader redevelopment plans. These include the Whitefriars industrial park and the land currently encompassing the Perth Leisure Pool and the Dewars Centre. Council officials emphasize the need for “ongoing dialogue” concerning the future of the Glover Street site, particularly in light of discussions around the controversial new PH2O leisure centre planned for Thimblerow, which could see the existing Perth Leisure Pool demolished. The report notes that these future redevelopments present unique opportunities to incorporate flood risk benefits into their designs.
Among the measures considered but ultimately rejected due to their unfavourable cost-benefit analysis were proposals to disconnect surface water from combined sewer systems and the introduction of Sustainable Drainage Solutions (SuDS) at specific locations such as Rannoch Road and Oakbank Road. Other innovative ideas, including enhancing water storage capacity at Muirton and leveraging greenspace in Millennium Park and agricultural fields near Murray Royal Hospital, also failed to meet the stringent economic viability tests mandated by the Scottish Government.
In the absence of large-scale protection schemes, the council’s recommendations include a continued emphasis on encouraging individual property owners to implement their own flood resilience measures. Local groups like Perth Community Flood Aid are keen to collaborate with the council in providing essential advice and support to residents navigating these challenges. Their commitment underscores the community’s proactive spirit in the face of ongoing environmental threats.
The detailed findings of the Perth Surface Water Management Plan are set to be presented to the climate change and sustainability committee next week, marking a pivotal moment in the city’s ongoing efforts to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of changing weather patterns. While the report may not offer the immediate answers many hoped for, it lays bare the complex realities of urban flood defence and sets the stage for future planning and community engagement in Perth and Kinross.
The Perth Surface Water Management Plan (SWMP), commissioned by Perth and Kinross Council, aimed to pinpoint effective strategies to shield hundreds of properties across the city from recurrent flooding. However, despite a thorough exploration of various proposals, none met the crucial cost-benefit criteria required for implementation, according to the study’s findings.
Janice Haig, a prominent voice from Perth Community Flood Aid, expressed the widespread sentiment of anticlimax. “It’s truly a damp squib after all this time,” she remarked, highlighting the frustration stemming from multiple delays in the report’s release over several years. Many residents, who have long grappled with the devastating impact of floodwaters, were eagerly anticipating tangible solutions.
The seriousness of the situation is underscored by alarming statistics. The study reveals that surface water currently contributes approximately 22% of Perth’s overall flood risk. A staggering 405 properties are deemed vulnerable during a one-in-30-year flood event. Disturbingly, projections indicate this number could surge to 1,041 properties in the future, largely attributable to the escalating effects of climate change. The vast majority of these at-risk locations, about 91%, are concentrated within 60 identified flooding hotspots across Perth.
A significant hurdle identified in the study is the insufficient capacity within Perth’s primary trunk sewers, which struggle to cope with heavy rainfall. This infrastructural limitation exacerbates the problem, leading to widespread surface water accumulation in various areas.
While no immediate, standalone flood protection schemes were deemed viable, the SWMP did highlight two areas with potential for future action, albeit contingent on broader redevelopment plans. These include the Whitefriars industrial park and the land currently encompassing the Perth Leisure Pool and the Dewars Centre. Council officials emphasize the need for “ongoing dialogue” concerning the future of the Glover Street site, particularly in light of discussions around the controversial new PH2O leisure centre planned for Thimblerow, which could see the existing Perth Leisure Pool demolished. The report notes that these future redevelopments present unique opportunities to incorporate flood risk benefits into their designs.
Among the measures considered but ultimately rejected due to their unfavourable cost-benefit analysis were proposals to disconnect surface water from combined sewer systems and the introduction of Sustainable Drainage Solutions (SuDS) at specific locations such as Rannoch Road and Oakbank Road. Other innovative ideas, including enhancing water storage capacity at Muirton and leveraging greenspace in Millennium Park and agricultural fields near Murray Royal Hospital, also failed to meet the stringent economic viability tests mandated by the Scottish Government.
In the absence of large-scale protection schemes, the council’s recommendations include a continued emphasis on encouraging individual property owners to implement their own flood resilience measures. Local groups like Perth Community Flood Aid are keen to collaborate with the council in providing essential advice and support to residents navigating these challenges. Their commitment underscores the community’s proactive spirit in the face of ongoing environmental threats.
The detailed findings of the Perth Surface Water Management Plan are set to be presented to the climate change and sustainability committee next week, marking a pivotal moment in the city’s ongoing efforts to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of changing weather patterns. While the report may not offer the immediate answers many hoped for, it lays bare the complex realities of urban flood defence and sets the stage for future planning and community engagement in Perth and Kinross.